An embodiment of the present invention is a skateboard deck manufactured by laminating layers of carbon fiber together under heat and vacuum, over a single layer of fiberglass, and the skateboard deck produced in this manner has properties at least comparable to those of skateboard decks manufactured from woods. The earliest skateboards had decks that were made of wood, but plastics, fiberglass, KEVLAR® (Registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours Co., Wilmington, Del.), and metals have also been used to form the deck. These materials have different characteristics and properties, which affect the performance of the skateboard. For example, a longboard (which we will define here as a skateboard having a distance of at least 26 inches between the front and rear skateboard wheels) is generally preferred by skateboarders when engaging in downhill skateboarding activities, while a small board, or “Standard” size skateboard, generally having an overall length of between approximately 30 inches to approximately 33 inches, is more commonly preferred when skateboarding on ramps.
A review of prior art discloses a number of patents which describe skateboards and aspects of their manufacture.
Western (U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,307) discloses a method of manufacturing a skateboard deck using a core of wood plies surrounded by a cover comprising a pregnable cloth, such as fiberglass cloth or carbon fiber cloth. One embodiment uses a sheet of pregnable cloth placed over the upper surface and lower surface of the deck. A second sheet of pregnable cloth is placed over the first sheet, with the threads running at a 45 degree angle to each other.
Peart et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,562) discloses a method for making an injection molded, foamed, composite material skateboard. The skateboard body is formed of a composite material including a foamed structural plastic mass including plural, elongate strands of carbon fiber material distributed within the confines of the mass; the carbon fiber strands contribute within the range of about 5% to about 70& of the total weight of the mass. The skateboard body is formed by injection molding using a thermoplastic such as nylon, polypropylene and polyethylene.
Bert (U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,284 B2) discloses a skateboard deck comprising a plurality of layers of wood plies; the deck plies preferably being made from a wood such as maple. The deck further includes reinforcement members, positioned either at the front of the deck, in the area where the front wheels are fixed, in the rear where the rear wheels are fixed, or on the periphery of the deck, with the reinforcement being inserted between the upper surface layer and the lower surface layer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,518 B2 Lo discloses an aluminum skateboard including an upper plate and a lower plate, with reinforcing ribs being integrally formed on the inner wall of each plate.
Madrid (U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,868 B2) discloses a corrugated wooden skateboard deck and the use of a high density polyethylene mold in which to form the corrugations within the deck. The deck is formed from a plurality of wooden plies, interspersed with a bonding agent, and formed within the mold under conditions of pressure until the bonding agent sets.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,558 B2 Osawa discloses a roller ski board formed from a light material, such as a synthetic resin, glass fiber and light metal or light compound material such as a plywood, etc.
Kay (U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,248 B1) discloses a skateboard having a deck comprising an upper and a lower platform separated by a plurality of journaled bearings, allowing for control of the skateboard.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,571 B1 Wen discloses a skateboard comprising an elongated body with a hollow core and a plurality of reinforcing ribs within the deck. The elongated body, reinforcing ribs and the strengthened frame are integrally made of a moldable material, such as aluminum alloy.
Wilson (U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,440 B1, “the '440 patent” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,037) discloses a metal sports board, manufactured from aluminum. In the '440 patent, the metal board also includes one or more longitudinally elongated cavity-forming sections which may be filled with an appropriate light weight filler material such as a foamed plastic, a wood or wood composite material, or an inflatable bladder to aid in the strength and/or manufacturing of the metal sports board.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,142 B1 Saputo discloses a method of making a skateboard deck using multiple layers of wood veneers. The method uses several layers of wood veneers in a hydraulic press, followed by shaping them on a CNC (computer numerical control) device, adding truck mounting inserts and an additional veneer layer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,717 Augustine et al. disclose a snowboard comprising a base of high density polyethylene, over which a layer of cloth, particularly hemp, is applied, and to which layers of fiberglass and a veneer panel are applied. A core made of wood, metal, KEVLAR® (Registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours Co., Wilmington, Del.) or other resilient material with metal plates or inserts is encapsulated with a layer of fiberglass. The core is placed over the veneer layer, and a final layer of cloth material is used to surround the base and core.
Parten (U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,513) discloses a method for making a wooden skateboard, in which a printed label is applied to the board lower surface by an adhesive, so that the outer periphery of the label matches the contours of the board's lower surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,963 Stevenson discloses a skateboard wherein the skateboard pieces can be formed from plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, or other suitable plastic which can be injection molded.
Moore (U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,656) discloses a skateboard having flexible sides, the board comprising a spine of laminated hardwoods encased between layers of fiberglass.
Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,989 B1) discloses a skateboard having laminations which are selected from at least two or more materials, one material being wood and the other material being non-wood. The non-wood material can be a layer of carbon fiber or fiberglass.
Hanson (U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,561 B1) discloses a laminated skateboard comprising a wood core with fiberglass layers.
Thus, while others described skateboard decks made from wood, wood laminates, or wood with a carbon fibre layer, no skateboard decks are described in which the entire deck is manufactured from carbon fiber, or with multiple layers of carbon fiber plus a single layer of fiberglass as a base. An embodiment of the present invention is a skateboard whose deck is manufactured from multiple layers of carbon fiber, and which has strength that is comparable to wooden skateboard decks. Embodiments of skateboard decks of the present invention are very durable, unlike wooden skateboard decks which frequently break during use. The performance of embodiments of skateboard decks of the present invention differs from that of wooden skateboard decks, such that embodiments of skateboards made using the present invention flex more than wooden skateboards, they do not slide when one is taking corners, because it is theorized that they create a greater downward force when cornering thereby minimizing the sideward forces that would cause sliding on corners, than do wooden skateboard decks. Embodiments of the skateboard decks of the present invention can be manufactured using either a manual layup process or a thermoforming process, both of which are also described herein.